MegaFest, the three-day family festival hosted by T.D. Jakes, will deliver an amazing lineup of inspirational entertainment when top celebrities from music, film, television, comedy and sports converge on Dallas August 29 – 31.

The “Just Churchin’” Comedy Show, Woman of Purpose Concert and the Ball Up Streetball Classic Tour Championship game are just a few of the electrifying entertainment events that will captivate audiences during the Labor Day weekend.

“MegaFest is about coming together to strengthen each other and our families, and leaving refreshed and ready to help our communities,” said Jakes. “There’s no better way to get inspired than by having fun, creating memories and laughing together.”

Making its triumphant return to the United States for the first time since 2006, MegaFest will be held at the Dallas Convention Center, American Airlines Center and other venues throughout the city. This supersized event marries four of Jakes’ most popular conferences: ManPower, Woman Thou Art Loosed, MegaYouth and MegaKidz with a plethora of entertainment, business and other empowering features for the entire family.

Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash, stars of the TV Land hit sitcom “The Soul Man,” the “Just Churchin’” comedy show is a MegaFest favorite. Slated for Friday, August 30 at 8 p.m. at the Dallas Convention Center Arena, “Just Churchin’” guarantees a flavorful mix of comedic talent, with hilarious, family-friendly stand up routines from seasoned veteran comedians to the hottest up and coming talent.

The MegaFest Woman of Purpose Concert, in conjunction with Autism Speaks, will highlight women who are making a difference in their communities by advocating for awareness and resources to assist children and families affected by this developmental disorder. Hosted on Saturday, August 31 at 8 p.m. from American Airlines Center.

Offering something for sports fans, MegaFest brings streetball from the neighborhood playground to the bright lights of the Dallas Convention Center Arena when Ball Up, the nation’s premiere streetball organization, concludes its 2013 nationwide tour with a championship game onAugust 31.

UWM Open House has booths from different academic areas as well as information on majors, financial aid, housing and other areas of concern to future students and their parents.

The Open House includes a variety of hands on activities.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee annual Open House on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26-27, showcases the entire university, and is a great way to see all that UWM has to offer.

Open House hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. No advance registration is required, though students can pre-register to save time the day of the event by visiting openhouseprereg.uwm.edu. Check-in and registration take place on the ground level of the Union both days.

Participants can take part in hands-on displays, meet faculty, speak with advisors from every UWM school and college, tour campus and individual buildings and ride a trolley bus through the UWM neighborhood and along Lake Michigan.

Prospective students and their families also can learn about student life, housing opportunities, the enrollment process and the all-important topics of financial aid and scholarships. Current UWM students and advisors will be on hand throughout the Open House.

Support services and organizations that provide networking and advice for new UWM students also will be represented. UWM’s Student Success Center, African American Student Academic Services, Roberto Hernandez Center, American Indian Student Services and Southeast Asian-American Student Services will offer displays featuring student activities and successful alumni, as well as other exhibits. For example, the American Indian Student Services booth will have information on the 35th annual UWM Autumn Pow Wow, Honoring Family, set for Nov. 3.

Students involved in the McNair Scholars program will be sharing some of their research in the Ballroom area. The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is a federally funded initiative to prepare low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students for graduate-level study while they are in their undergraduate years. It is named for the African American astronaut who died in the space shuttle Challenger explosion. UWM’s McNair program is one of the longest running in the country.

Forgive Avorgbedor, a senior in the College of Nursing, is a McNair Scholar who will present her research during Open House. Working with mentor and Associate Professor Teresa Johnson, she conducted research on women who have experienced the loss of an infant before or soon after birth, and their interactions with caregivers. Avorgbedor is a native of Ghana. Her research was inspired by her observation that Milwaukee and Ghana face similar infant mortality rates.

In addition to meeting student scholars like Ovorgbedor, visitors to the Open House will have the opportunity to find out more about learning and research at UWM, and get hands-on experiences at some of the booths.

“The UWM Open House is our largest and most impressive outreach program of the year, and the only one of its kind in the state of Wisconsin,” says Janis Ford, executive director of the Department of Admissions and Recruitment. “It also is the recruitment program that has the most impact on a student’s decision to attend the university. There is no other program offered that allows college-bound students and their families the opportunity to explore UWM in such a comprehensive, interactive and fun way.

“In any given year,” Ford adds, “more than half of all the students who attend the Open House, and are eligible to enroll, ultimately make UWM their destination campus.”

The grand total for attendance during the history of the Open House now is 56,540. Guest totals for 2011 numbered 3,620 visitors.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to www.openhouse.uwm.edu or call 414.229-2222